Stettiner Bürgerhaushault 2024: Stimm ab – Ändere unser Stettin

Educational classes for the youngest, an information campaign for adults, and reminders for those most reluctant to follow the rules ‒ Szczecin is striving for better waste segregation.

Selective collection of municipal waste in Szczecin has been in place since 2013, and in its current formula, covering four main fractions of segregated waste ‒ for more than four years.  It was in the summer of 2019 that the compulsory segregation of bio-waste was introduced alongside of other three fractions, namely, metals and plastics, paper, and glass.

Each change regarding waste segregation was accompanied by a dedicated information campaign, letting the residents quickly learn the basic rules and start to put them into practice. Over the years, the amounts of selectively collected waste also increased steadily. At the same time, this period was seen as a time of learning and becoming familiarised with new responsibilities and rules related to waste collection.

Further challenges to come 

Like all other cities in Poland, Szczecin is now facing further waste management challenges, and how it will handle them depends, to a large extent, on the involvement of its residents.  At issue are the so-called recycling levels, i.e., the level of preparation for reuse and the actual level of recycling of municipal waste. This is what municipalities are held accountable for each year, with the thresholds levels constantly on the rise.  

In 2022, the mandatory recycling level was 25 per cent; in 2023 it has already risen to 35 per cent; and in 2024 it will reach 45 per cent.  Unless we attain the required levels in the following years, we will be facing financial penalties.

Not all is done as it should be  

The amount of waste is one thing, but the quality also matters as waste is sometimes sorted only theoretically. Unfortunately, it still happens that various materials that should not be discarded to the bins and bags designated for specific types of waste are actually found there. Observations show that most of the encountered problems still concern the bio fraction. First and foremost, waste is often thrown while placed in various types of bags and sacks despite the fact that this is not allowed. Second, meat and leftovers from lunches and dinners are placed in the brown bin, while they should be regarded as mixed waste. In addition, many people forget that “bio” not only stands for grass or leaves but also for peelings, fruit cores, coffee and tea grounds, wilted flowers and even sawdust.

Who will get the warning?

Waste collection companies verify whether waste has been correctly sorted. If they find any irregularities, a photo documentation is prepared and the container or sack is marked with a yellow sticker. If the bin or bag contains waste that is not collected under the waste collection fee (such as rubble, car parts, electronics, waste generated during renovation or polystyrene foam), it will only be collected once that kind of waste has been removed. And if incorrectly segregated waste (mixed segregation) is found in a bin or bag, it will be collected as mixed waste.

The property owner or manager is informed in writing about the irregularities found.  If the number of errors exceeds the number allowed by the Municipal Authority’s Rules of Maintenance and Order, an increased fee is charged, which is twice the regular rate for the month in which the segregation errors occurred. Inspections are carried out on a random basis, but those who consistently fail to correctly segregate their waste should expect financial consequences.  

Education is a must

The city is obviously not giving up on further education, especially of the youngest, as it is children who increasingly often take their good habits home and teach their parents how to act. Throughout October, educational activities were held for nursery and primary school children.  Workshops and lectures were held in the Ekoport. Schools also took part in joint clean-up actions organised by the city, combined with education. Similar activities were also prepared for teenagers. In this way, information on the principles and importance of waste segregation reached almost a thousand young people in Szczecin in an attractive way. These activities will continue successively.

The city has also launched a dedicated information campaign on the Internet and prepared posters for property managers, reminding them of the principles of correct waste segregation.

HOW TO SEGREGATE WASTE

What you should put in the brown bin or bag for biodegradable waste:

- vegetable and fruit peelings

- vegetable waste and scraps

- coffee and tea grounds

- wilted flowers

- potted plants

- tree and shrub branches

 - grass cuttings and leaves

- sawdust and tree bark

- bread, flour

- groats and rice without additives

What you MUST NOT put in the brown bin or bag for biodegradable waste:

- animal bones

- egg shells

- meat

- edible oil

- animal faeces

- coal ash

- medicines

- impregnated wood

 - particle and MDF boards

- soil and stones

Important note! Bio-waste should be disposed of loose, without any bags or packaging.

What you should put in the yellow bin or bag for plastic and metal:

- crushed PET beverage bottles

- juice and milk cartons

- cleaning product and cosmetics packaging

- foil and plastic bags

- beverage and food cans

- bottle seals and metal caps

- clean aluminium foil

What you MUST NOT put in the yellow bin or bag for plastic and metal:

- styrofoam

- plastic food packaging (mixed waste)

- dirty aluminium foil (mixed waste)

- plastic toys (mixed waste)

- empty drug packaging and worn-out medicinal products

- engine oil packaging, car parts

- used batteries

- paint and varnish cans and containers

- waste electronic and household equipment

What you should put in the blue bin or bag for paper:

- cut and folded cardboard,

- catalogues, brochures,

- newspapers and magazines,

- school and office paper, printed sheets of paper,

- notebooks and books,

- packing paper, paper bags,

- paper egg trays,

What you MUST NOT put in the blue bin or bag for paper:

- paper towels and used tissues

- lacquered and film-covered paper

- greased and dirty carton

- milk and drink cartons

- paper bags for fertilisers, cement and other building materials

- wallpapers

- disposable nappies and other hygiene materials

- paint and varnish cans and containers

- greasy disposable paper packaging and disposable paper dishes

- clothing

What you should put in the green bin or bag for glass:

- bottles without bottle seals and plastic caps

- jars without caps

- glass cosmetic packaging

What you MUST NOT put in the green bin or bag for glass:

- ceramics, flower pots, porcelain, pottery items, crystal

- spectacle lenses

- heat-resistant glass

- metal jar or bottle caps

- candles with wax

- light bulbs and fluorescent tubes

- lamps

- packaging for medicines, thinners, engine oil

- mirrors

- window panes and reinforced glass

- monitors and TV lamps

- thermometers and syringes

You can put in the mixed waste container the waste which cannot be reused through recycling, namely:

- meat left-overs and bones

- egg shells

- plastic food packaging

- wet and greased paper

- used hygiene materials, nappies

- pet litter and bedding

- broken dishes

- textiles

- cold ash

- packaging styrofoam

- medicine blisters

What you MUST NOT put in the mixed waste container:

- electronic equipment

- furniture

- batteries

- medicines

- hazardous waste

- renovation and construction waste

- soil